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The New College of Florida in Sarasota announced Tuesday it will commission a statue of the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, noting the tribute will serve as a symbol of its commitment to protecting the First Amendment and fostering civil discourse.
Though the statue’s specifics have not yet been released, the college shared a sample rendering of the bronze statue—depicting Kirk sitting at a four-legged table with two open chairs, holding a microphone.
The scene is reminiscent of Kirk’s nationwide Turning Point USA events, where the 31-year-old conservative activist would invite college students to peacefully discuss political issues as he sat behind a table.
William Witt, New College Chief Social Media Officer, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the New College of Florida believes the statue will be a reminder of “what America is all about.”
“Having conversations that might be difficult, but that are worth it,” Witt said. “Where the best idea wins. [Conversations] that are civil, and people actually coming together.”
The statue will be privately funded by community leaders, according to the college.
“We’ve had a tremendous outpouring of people who have come and said, ‘I want to support and I want to donate to actually make this a reality’,” Witt said. “Just a huge outpouring of people. … We’re absolutely thrilled that we’re able to do this, and we wish Charlie could have come to our campus while he was still living. We want to do our best to honor his memory, his legacy and everything that he represented.”
The location for the statue will be announced in the coming months, and it is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year.
“We want to move as fast as possible on this, because we believe it’s truly important,” Witt said.
Witt noted there is nothing that pleases 100 percent of people, but the majority of students have said they feel “proud” of the school for making the decision.
While the New College has not yet talked about security specifics, Witt said “if someone takes action against the memorial, they will be punished and action will be taken against those people.”
Kirk, a husband and father of two, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Wednesday.
He advocated for free speech and open dialogue throughout his career, urging young people to fight for their ideas and avoid silencing those they may not agree with.
“One of the most horrifying and surprising evolutions we have witnessed among our widespread campus network is the rapid movement away from tolerating opposing ideas and respectful debate to the deployment of obscene bully tactics from the left,” Kirk said.
The Florida College Democrats and New College Democrats did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
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